Last week the sky was falling over in Russia, in the form of a meteor that fell to earth. Fortunately nobody overreacted in the fashion predicted by at least a few apocalyptic films from the 80's - no counterstrike, no accidental armageddon. And anyways, WWIII is SUPPOSED to be initiated by the release of a red balloon, not by a meteorite.

Comedian, Steven Colbert got the opportunity to make jokes about the 80's arcade game "Asteroids" before The I had the chance (Grrr), but we can still use the occasion to offer some "Asteroids" related trivia. Atari's "Asteroids" was the most successful arcade game the company ever released, and it has long since earned an exalted status among video games.

Shortly after its release in 1979, the game inspired sequels, home versions, imitators, and bootlegs, some of which are still showing up today. Rumor has it there's supposed to be a Hollywood film inspired by the game. I remembers how, intentionally or not, the game's appearance coincided with the release of the first Star Wars sequel "The Empire Strikes Back." The asteroid chase was one of the best parts of the film, and upon exiting the Mall theater after watching it for the 27th time, one could head over to the arcade for several rounds of Atari's "Asteroids." 

Several films from the 80's featured shots of "Asteroids" arcade game, either in the background, or being played by the characters. These included "Fast Times At Ridgemont High," "War Games," and "Terms Of Endearment." But perhaps the most ironic, given last weeks dashcam images of the Russian meteor streaking through the sky, was a 1984 film starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, and Robert Beltran. It featured teenagers left to fend for themselves in a post apocalyptic wasteland populated by zombies, only this time thermonuclear war was not actually to blame. What was the name of the film?